Rewriting the Last Page
by Starjargon
Summary: Amy and Rory learn to adjust to life in Manhattan, with correspondence and surprises from River and the Doctor. Manhattan fix- it. AU
1. One More Last Page

**A/N- After a long, _long_ day, I needed some happy. Of course, my happy tends to involve some angsty apparently, so here's this. Completely canon divergent. I do hope you like it, as it got me through my day...**

* * *

It had been a little disconcerting, to say the least, when they had blinked and found themselves back nearly fifty years before they had been born. They had ended up a few streets away from each other, but Amy had always found her Rory. It turns out they both had decided to explore River's Melody Malone headquarters, which were easy enough to track down, in the hopes of finding a way back to normal (for them, anyway) there. Their reunion was emotional, to say the least: Rory not knowing where Amy would come when she began looking for him, Amy not knowing whether or not Rory had been sent back to that time and place at all. They cried bittersweet tears that first night, and they camped out in their makeshift haven- safe, at least, in each other's arms.

Amy had explained everything to Rory. How they could never go back. How they had to die there. How they would never be able to see their daughter or the Doctor ever again. She didn't have to explain how she had gotten stuck there too. He no longer needed the reassurance that he would always be her choice, as she was always his.

They had plundered River's possessions, such as they were, leaving their daughter a letter for the future, explaining everything. They'd come up with enough for a house, and fresh identities. They were grateful their daughter had always been resourceful, and that Rory had such a marketable skill, since they had landed right in the midst of the Great Depression.

All in all, they were able to make a comfortable life for themselves, and after a while they had learned the rhythms of this alien city, time, and country. They were happy, in a place that suited both of them. Rory got the simple house and family he had always wanted, and Amy, living in a thriving metropolis, got just enough adventure to keep her constantly excited about life.

There was only one thing that still saddened them, in the dark cover of their innermost thoughts, when their lonely house guarded their secrets.

Never again.

Never again would Amy mock the Doctor about one of his alien habits. Never again would Rory and River duel with swords. Never again would Amy get to call on her grown Melody, or have the opportunity to talk to her Raggedy Man. Never again would Rory and the Doctor have a disagreement, or River confide in her father. Their house, for all its comfort and peace and Pond/ Williams-ness, was too quite.

"I miss them," said Amy sadly one day, her head on Rory's lap as he read a book.

He put a hand on her shoulder, knowing he couldn't take her hurt away.

* * *

_22 April 2745_

_Dear Dad and Mum,_

_The Doctor gave me a wonderfully indescribable surprise for our anniversary. Hope. Wish you could be here with me, sharing in this wonderful gift. But perhaps somehow, someday, you will be... Spoilers!_

_Miss you both so much,_

_River_

* * *

A few months after they had left, they started receiving correspondence from River. They had found different ways of getting messages to her now, and they seemed to communicate in circles. A gift left in a safety deposit box to be retrieved years later. A thank you card arriving the next day by Western Union. A message given to a smitten construction worker working on a public building, a responding line in a certain reprint of their favourite books.

And so it went. A way to connect to two of the people they missed more than anything. Over several months, the pain dulled. Then, came the playground. It had been started by the President's New Deal initiative, a way to provide jobs to the destitute. When it was finally finished, it brought children and parents together from all around.

Amy and Rory noticed it, of course. On their daily walks, sometimes they would stop by, watching the kids enjoying themselves. Most days, they would wish they had a specific child to watch. They had learnt by now to disguise the hurt. A young couple in a nice house with no children? Well- meaning neighbours would ask them when they were planning on starting a family. Nosy older people would ask about their other relatives. Curious youngsters would run up to them, asking if they were the parents of their newfound friend.

Always the same questions. Always the same answers. Always the stab of renewed pain.

They began to understand why the Doctor always adopted a human to travel with.

"I miss them, too," said Rory, with his arm wrapped around Amy, watching the sun set behind the swings.

* * *

_27 March 1892_

_Happy Mother's Day, Mum._

_The Doctor and I have a new trick. Perhaps we will still be able to show you someday. There must be a way. And if you know my husband (and you know him well), he will find it._

_Love always,_

_River_

* * *

Amy had learned long ago to worry about the Doctor. River had promised to look after him, and she knew that her daughter would do her best. But, they were never ones for conventional living. And he was always rubbish alone- no one there to share in his new discoveries, or to help him find the humanity in his alienness. She would hear a strange noise, or see a historic site rising, or an unexplained event, and she kept finding herself constantly turning to the friend who was no longer there, expecting him to grab her hand and ask her to come along.

"Do you think he's alright?" she asked as they dined at a newly- discovered restaurant.

Rory would treat a little girl, fallen with scraped knees, a boy who had tripped on the sidewalk, a teenager who needed someone to talk to. He remembered the silly wounds his friend and daughter would acquire, all those reckless deeds that had helped prompt him to become a nurse to right her again. He remembered the tears she had learned to hold back, the wounds she learnt to hide, the breaks she never asked to mend.

"Do you think he's taking care of her?" he asked as they saw a young couple bickering whilst holding hands.

* * *

_23 December 5022_

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_It seems Christmas arrived early this year on Calderon Beta. The Doctor says his Melody was the brightest star in the sky. Sentimental idiot._

_Miss you two. Love you,_

_River_

* * *

Each Christmas, they still set out two extra places.

"Maybe next year," they said with hopeful smiles as they cleaned up too much food.

* * *

_7 July 9168_

_Dear Dad and Mum,_

_After a lot of planning, a little cajoling, and several very stimulating conversations between Albert Einstein and the Doctor, we've managed to arrange a surprise for you. Take a walk in Central Park, this Saturday at half past 3. You'll see it by the third bench on the right._

_Hope you like it,_

_River _(and the Doctor!)

_And the Doctor..._

* * *

It would be nice, they decided, to have something connecting them to home again. Something connecting them to River. And the Doctor.

They had waited, as was their habit, for two years. Two years of hoping for something that might remind them of the lives they once had. Two years looking for a way to send something bigger than a letter or a small package back to those they loved. Two years of wishing to receive some confirmation that Brian and the Ponds were all right without them. Two years of secretly looking to receive a memento from their only child or their best friend, hoping that he hadn't become lost without them and had learnt to move on.

And so it was, with all eagerness and faith, they set out on the day prescribed by their Melody, Amy's bag filled with supplies they may need to retrieve their surprise.

When they turned the corner, around a large tree, they were slightly disappointed to see nothing out of the ordinary from their point of view. They kept walking past people and bicycles, children and parents, toward the third bench. Closer still, and nothing had shown itself.

A few trees surrounding the bench, some grass fighting to stay alive, a couple with a dog, a man. A man...

Rory saw him first, but it was Amy who started running. When he got over his shock, Rory ran too, arriving just as Amy thrust herself into his arms, tears running down her cheeks. He squeezed her, then turned to a speechless Rory, hugging him tightly.

"Rory," there were tears running down both of their faces now.

"Dad," replied the astonished nurse.

* * *

_9 August 2012_

_Amy! _

_Did you like my gift?! After we went back and explained what happened (your mother's got quite the slap on her) Rory's dad decided he wouldn't mind seeing the past. We (well, mostly River) helped him settle all his affairs and say his goodbyes, and after some clever manoeuvring on my part, we were able to send him back there with River's manipulator! Hope you don't mind a permanent house guest... No, of course you don't. Anyway, I got a new suit! River says she loves it, but she always seems to say this when she's standing behind me, so I never know if she's gotten the full effect of the outfit, with the waistcoat and new fob watch. I use a fob watch now. Fob watches are cool! I look rather sophisticated. No more silly old Time Lord! Well- things to do. Big, important, quite smelly, unidentifiable liquidy things to tend to. _

_Bye Bye, Pond,_

_The Doctor_

_P.S. Say hi to the Roman for me_

* * *

It was rather comforting, having Brian around. The house seemed much less lonely. There were gifts at birthdays and anniversaries, and parties and laughter and memories. Brian was a great help to both of them, and was fascinated by every "old" experience he had. They found they both got great satisfaction being able to show him around their city, for so it had become, and introducing him to familiar haunts and sights they knew he would appreciate.

It made them feel good again, knowing they had knowledge and usefulness to someone they loved. On their weekends or their free time, they would take short trips to different historical events or monuments, watching history unfold before their eyes. He gasped at the enormity of the city, and gaped at the brand new Empire State Building. He would take long walks "exploring" and would come back hours later, always with a story to tell about where he'd been, adding another pin to the large New York map he'd somehow acquired, each indicating another place he'd like to see.

They were happy to oblige him- this man who'd given up his world to remain in theirs. And they both always enjoyed these small trips, remembering times of not- so- long ago. They experienced so much at his request, and were grateful his presence dammed much of the pain they'd felt since leaving the next century. He always tried to keep them entertained and safe. They were even going to Ellis Island next Saturday, (despite Rory's still- hostile relationship with the Statue of Liberty) in an "attempt to welcome a few strangers to a new land," since they all had experienced such trepidation and he felt it only fair to try to empathize with other displaced foreigners.

* * *

_8 October 5130_

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_This will probably be my last letter to you. I hope you understand what an important part of my life you are, and how very much you mean to me. I appreciate everything you've ever done for me- more than you can imagine. Words can't express how very much I miss you, and how I long to have you in my life again._

_I love you both so much,_

_River_

* * *

Amy and Rory were despondent after their daughter's last letter, their spirits down as they gloomily waded through the crowd on Ellis Island. Brian kept acting as though nothing was wrong, commenting on how very interesting all the immigrants were as they flooded the streets.

"It's like watching history before my eyes. _It is_ history before my eyes."

When he saw the half- hearted smiles they tried to wear for his sake, he grinned fondly, throwing an arm around each of them.

"Cheer up you two, it's not as bad as all that."

When that failed to lift their spirits, he pulled them closer to him, walking down the streets as they leaned against him for support, worried about their daughter's mysterious goodbye.

"There could be a number of things she meant. Besides, it's always very important to remember- there's one thing you must never, ever let go of."

"What's that, Brian?" asked Amy.

Brian nudged them forward again, scanning the crowds and putting on his biggest smile, even as he squatted down.

"Hope."

Suddenly, they heard a shriek, and a little girl with long brown hair ran straight into Brian's outstretched arms.

"Dad, be careful, she could-" started a cautious Rory, before he heard another shriek and a very young ginger boy toddled up, grabbing Brian with tiny hands and bringing himself close to the beaming man.

"Trick! Hope! I thought I told you two not to get too far ahead!" Amy and Rory froze as they heard that voice, not believing it could actually be true.

"I've got them, Doctor," called Brian, his arms still wrapped around the two young kids in front of him. "You just take care of my granddaughter there, and let me worry about my great-grandkids. Been awhile since we've gotten to do our special bunny faces together," he said, even as all three faces scrunched up and began rubbing noses with each other between giggles.

"Thank you, Granddad," said River, who finally came into view, the Doctor tugging her behind him as she waddled with a large, protruding stomach.

"Now you three behave when you meet your Nan and Papa," said River, her smile wide and mischievous as she watched Brian with her children. "Doctor, where's Melody?"

"We've got her," replied Tabetha Pond as she and Augustus made their way behind River with a little blond girl with tight ringlets perhaps just barely old enough to walk.

The Doctor had his hand on River's back, supporting her and her extra weight, before he, after making sure she was alright, turned toward Amy and Rory.

He smiled wide at Amy as she stared at him, speechless. She shook her head slightly, wondering if this was all a dream or if she'd somehow died and this was heaven. Then, he spoke, breaking her trance.

"Amelia Pond."

She smiled and ran to him, nearly knocking him down as they hugged tightly. Rory had come and stood next to him, masculine tears running in streams down his face as he approached them, pausing to look at River with a smile as wide as her own, taking a very appraising look at her pregnant stomach, before she leaned forward and grasped him closely to her, tears in her own eyes. When Amy and the Doctor finally released one another, she grabbed her daughter firmly as the Doctor nearly squeezed the life out of Rory, kissing him on both cheeks in joy.

Then Amy and Rory turned, and Amy ran to her mother and father. As she embraced Augustus, the baby with a soother in her mouth that Tabetha was currently holding held out both pudgy arms to Rory. He sniffled as he gently gathered her up, smiling before kissing her on her head, leaving Amy to hug her mum and dad as tightly as airflow would allow.

Then, after a tight one- armed hug to both of the Ponds, Rory grabbed Amy's hand, and they all regrouped with the others, Amy reaching out to play with the tiny fingers of the baby girl in Rory's arms.

"So, Raggedy Man. What now?" asked Amy in mock seriousness, putting her free arm around River, her face threatening to split in two with her smile.

"Now, Williams," he said with a clap as they all turned back toward the city that never sleeps, "we go home."


	2. Keeping Busy While Rewriting Time

**A/N- Okay, so I admit to extremely poor planning on my part, because I always wanted to set this chapter at Christmas, meaning you all had to wait 6 months for December to come along... Well, here's my gift to you: pure fluff on what everyone else got up to while Amy and Rory were stuck in New York alone. Hope it was worth the wait. Merry Christmas!**

**And a special thanks to kehwie and Sylva_Dax for all your help!**

* * *

River beamed at her mother as they prepared for Christmas dinner. Insisting she would help, she handed Stewart off to her father, taking his place by Amy's side as he grinned and hugged his youngest, tiniest grandson to him. She couldn't help but take a moment to smile wistfully at the picture, emotion overcoming her once more as she bent down to place a kiss to the top of Rory's head, even while he was kissing her newborn.

Suddenly, he looked up at her, a knowing smile on his own face as he reached up and wiped the tear from her eye.

"You sure you're alright, River?" he asked, rocking the baby gently as he began to squirm.

"Yeah," she said, eyes still moist as she cleared her throat, post-partum hormones still controlling her emotions. "Just... wasn't sure I'd ever get to see this."

He breathed out an understanding chuckle, leaning up and kissing her cheek before shooing her toward Amy, Tabetha, and Hope.

* * *

"_I told you it doesn't matter, Doctor." She pulled her dressing gown around herself even as she came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist, head on his shoulder as she saw what had dragged him out of bed._

"_Of course it matters, River. They were, are, our best friends. Our family. Of course it matters."_

"_We can't change it, my love. There's nothing we can do but accept it."_

_He looked back at her with sad, sorrowful eyes, and together they mourned what could never be._

_Finally, when he found his voice again, he licked his lips and whispered dejectedly, "We have to tell Brian, don't we?"_

* * *

Tabetha and Amy were laughing, checking the turkey and drinking a cinnamon concoction as they continued chatting on about their lives and the ridiculous things they got up to here in their past. Amy's smile widened when she spotted her daughter, offering her a glass as well before picking up the brunette child at her feet.

"Hope's been helping Nan and Grandnan with Christmas dinner. Isn't that right, Hope?" Amy asked, grinning and nuzzling the girl, who held her own juice cup in imitation of the family matriarchs.

"Yes, she's such a dear little thing, isn't she?" asked a very proud Tabetha. "And just as mischievous as you two were when you were young," she continued, giving her daughter and granddaughter a playful glare.

Amy kissed Hope fiercely before setting her down to have a break with her siblings, the three women giggling as they watched her tiny hand sneak some marshmallows on her way out. Then Amy and River met each other's gaze, arms coming around one another's shoulders as they stared innocently at Tabetha.

"Who, us?" they asked in sync.

Tabetha chuckled, shaking her head and sighing.

"Well, at least you have those four to give _you two_ trouble now," she said, grandmotherly joy in every word.

They looked toward the living room, where baby Melody was clinging to the Doctor's neck. He was sat on the floor busily helping Trick and Hope make last-minute updates to their Christmas lists, as well as his own, all their heads bent furiously over the table as the Doctor periodically clapped and shouted more suggestions that simply _had_ to go on their lists.

"Don't you mean five?" asked Amy teasingly, nudging her daughter's shoulder fondly.

* * *

"_This can't ever work, my love! Even if we found a way in, the power it would take would still rip a massive hole in time," she pointed out, reading through yet another simulation the TARDIS had printed for them._

"_Okay, but Nikola assures me he's going to try to find a formula to modify the energy use." He cleared his throat as he looked at different simulation sheepishly, crumpling up the paper and tossing it to the growing pile over his shoulder. "But even if we could get back there, the TARDIS couldn't make any more trips through the vortex for few years once we do. Or, any other type of time travel device. It would be too dangerous to go in and out, especially since their graves are fixed points."_

_River's eyes went wide as she read through the newest form the Old Girl had printed, a look of shock frozen on her face._

_The Doctor glanced up and took in her expression, shaking his head as he paced some more around the console room._

"_I know, I know! That means linear time, no more travelling, no more excitement, no more running. But, this is the only way, River, I'm sure of it. If we ever want to see Amy and Rory again, we have to give up our adventures for a while." He sighed, the idea of staying still almost more terrifying than saying goodbye._

_River finally looked up at him, her eyes still wide as she suddenly blurted out. "What if we had a different sort of adventure to occupy us?" _

"_What like invasions or explosions? World War II- wait, already did that one- several times! Only once in America, though-" he rambled on, trying his best to figure out a suitable solution for the linear life they'd be forced into._

_River reached out and stopped him, halting his monologue as she met his eyes hesitantly._

"_No, my love. I mean... a _different_ kind of adventure. One that I imagine will keep us well occupied for years."_

_He looked up at her inquisitively, before she handed him the last paper the TARDIS had gifted her. She simply stared as she watched his thoughts play across his features, her own so conflicted she caught herself almost waiting for his emotional cue._

_Then he looked up from the form abruptly, and their eyes met, small smiles coming to each of their faces._

"_Well," he said, rocking on his feet and straightening his bowtie, his expression turning smug, "it seems I'm perfectly capable of adding excitement to your life no matter the circumstances, Professor Song." Then he reached out a finger to tap her lightly on the nose, grin widening quickly._

_She simply rolled her eyes at him, catching his hand as she pulled him closer. "Oh, whatever shall I do with you, you completely impossible man?" Then he leant forward and kissed her, his hands tangling with hers as they rose to press against her abdomen._

"_Love me, travel with me, have my baby," he replied with a smirk when they finally broke apart._

"_Hmm. I think you meant love you, stay still with you, raise _our_ baby," River corrected._

"_Sorry," he defended, leaning forward into her space once more, "Pregnancy brain."_

"_I'm the one who's supposed to get pregnancy brain you idiot,_ I'm_ the one who's pregnant," she teased, grinning like a fool._

"_Oh, right. I guess you'll just have to keep reminding me, dear," he said, kissing her again when he felt there was too much space between them._

"_I'm pregnant," she repeated, as he leant forward to place a kiss on her forehead. "I'm pregnant." Cheek. "I'm pregnant." Nose._

"_You're pregnant," he whispered reverently, finally meeting her mouth with his own._

* * *

"Now Amelia, we really should take River out shopping since she's lost all that weight. Time for some Pond women bonding. And, isn't it an experience to see everyone in all these old-fashioned clothes?" asked Tabetha. "Of course, I suppose it's all familiar to you two. I don't think I could ever get used to it," she continued, chattering away as they cut potatoes to put in the oven. Brian came over and took the heavy turkey tray out of Amy's hands, still insistently fussing over her and River as he began to carve.

"It takes a few months, Tabetha, but it's not so bad once you find a nice routine," he insisted, sharing his extra experience with her.

"Oh, Brian, that's easy for you to say. You've always been better than us at accepting these sorts of things."

* * *

_River held the Doctor's hand tightly as he rang the doorbell to the house he once gave his friends. Brian opened the door, the sadness in the Doctor's eyes stealing his breath away as he stepped aside to let the couple in._

"_River...?" he finally croaked out, seeing his granddaughter and looking to her to stop whatever bad news was surely coming._

"_I'm sorry, Brian," the Doctor offered, hanging his head low as he swallowed deeply._

"_You promised, Doctor. You promised me," he beseeched, the grief in his voice propelling River forward to embrace her broken-hearted grandfather. He hugged her tightly for a moment, before standing tall and staring the Doctor down. "How did it happen?" he demanded at last._

_After they had explained everything, as well as their tentative plans to try to get them back, he helped them tell Tabetha and Augustus, assuring the more sceptical couple of the validity of all they said. They made sure to report back often, and he insisted on accompanying them on more and more trips the further along River got in her pregnancy. He was the first to hold Hope Song the day she was born, gifting his first great-granddaughter her name._

"_You just keep her close, you two," he instructed, more enthralled with her than with the strange creatures that happened to surround them, "your time together is more precious than you can ever imagine. And before you know it, it's gone."_

* * *

At the sound of her children shrieking, River looked up to see Trick and Melody running as fast as their little legs would carry them, Hope now riding on the Doctor's back as Augustus chased after the four of them, laughing while he pretended the two smallest ones were too quick. Suddenly, Melody's still-wobbly legs gave out and she fell flat on her bum, looking up in shock and embarrassment. Augustus immediately called a halt to all chasing, bending and picking up the tiny girl, sympathizing with her overdramatic expressions as grandparents are wont to do, her lip suddenly quivering as she abruptly appeared on the verge of tears. Then the Doctor came over, lifting Trick up to hand over to his great-grandfather when the boy realized he'd lost Augustus' attention. He sat with both of them on his lap, fawning over them and chuckling heartily, adjusting Melody so Hope had a spot as well.

"They've sure got him wrapped around their tiny fingers," Tabetha commented, the happiness in her eyes belying her tone, "just like their mother, I guess."

River reached over, pulling her grandmother into a hug, placing a kiss on the top of her head before taking Stewart back from Rory.

* * *

"_And you're sure this travelling is safe for you, River? I mean, in your condition?" Augustus asked as she pointed the Doctor to another package to load into the TARDIS, reaching out a hand to steady her as though she would topple over simply by leaning. Then he helped her stand upright, the worry in his eyes melting her heart._

"_The TARDIS would never let me get hurt, Grandfather. Neither would the Doctor." Tabetha came over, handing Hope to Augustus for a brief goodbye before patting River's round stomach fondly._

"_He just worries," she said, hugging River and reclaiming Hope. "We waited so long to see our Amelia have children and then..." she looked away as her eyes filled with tears, River's on the brink as well. "And now we get to be around for yours," she said with a bright smile. "He's just worried something- something might happen and we'll never know."_

_River looked at her sympathetically, pulling her grandparents close while the Doctor got little Hope securely fastened into her TARDIS seat._

"_This is just a short trip to the past to set up finances both for them and us and to procure a place where the TARDIS will always be safe and out of the way for when we go back for good. This baby's not supposed to be here for awhile yet. I promise, we'll all be fine and back here soon, and nothing's going to happen."_

_However, true to his name, Trick surprised even the Doctor with his arrival, and the next time River saw her grandparents, it was with a tiny ginger son added to her growing brood._

* * *

After insisting that Amy and Rory needed some quality time with their daughter and grandchildren, Tabetha, Brian, and Augustus took over kitchen duties, sending the younger Ponds and all the Songs out for some air. As the Doctor challenged Hope and Trick to a race, Amy and Rory met each other's eyes, swinging Melody between them, smiling brightly as they watched their young grandchildren at the playground.

"Rory and I used to imagine something like this, if things were different," Amy confided to River, who had bundled up Stewart and was clutching him tightly to her chest. River looked up at her in question, before Amy indicated Rory holding Melody tightly as they went down the slide, the Doctor pushing Trick and Hope on the swings. "Our children, laughing with the other children here. Watching our kids at the playground ." She looked down at her sleeping grandson, bending to press a soft kiss to his face. "I never even dared to dream I'd actually get to watch my grandchildren play here." Her face widened into a bright smile, beaming at her daughter. River nodded and chuckled, laying her head on her mother's shoulder as they observed their family together.

* * *

"_Are you sure this is going to work, Doctor?" asked River in excitement,, struggling to comfortably hold Trick to her with her once-more protruding stomach in the way._

"_Course I'm sure! 100 % sure. Well, more like 70% and some hope, but I'm definitely more sure than not," he said with glee, Hope's arms wrapped securely around his neck as she balanced on his back while he leant over and kissed River's cheek. Then he scratched his own cheek, glancing toward a stern-looking Tabetha Pond. "Perhaps if we could test it... Send just one person back without damaging anything, to test out where in the city would be the best place for the rest of us to make the trip." _

"_And who do you suggest we send back, dear?" she asked suspiciously, untangling Trick's fingers from her hair as she handed him to Brian when Hope reached out for her._

"_Well..." he couldn't seem to think of an answer that would spare him her very-much-intensified-with-pregnancy wrath._

_She closed her eyes, shaking her head before looking up at him pleadingly._

"_It would be incredibly dangerous," she murmured. He picked up Hope again, handing her off to Augustus as he cupped her cheek with one hand, lightly caressing her belly with the other._

"_This is the only way, River. The only way to make sure you will all be safe." He kissed her nose, using his thumb to rub away the tear that was making its way down her face, chuckling lightly at the sight before bending and kissing the cause of the extra-emotional display in his wife._

_She looked at her kids, giggling and happy in the arms of the people who loved them most, then looked back at the Doctor, giving him a slight nod of her head. "Well, before we do any of this I insist we have one last Christmas together." The 'just in case' remained unsaid. "Take us somewhere boring yet magical, Sweetie."_

_The Doctor looked over at the older, less travel-experienced Ponds, then back at his wife's face. He thought for a moment, then smiled as his fingers tangled in her curls as he laid a quick kiss to the top of her head._

"_Calderon Beta!" he declared excitedly, arms raised in show as Tabetha and Augustus stepped out onto their first foreign planet. Then he proudly exclaimed, "You know, this was the first place I brought Miss Melody Pond after she became Mrs. River Song."_

"_Wrong date, Doctor! Christmas is a few days yet!" River yelled from outside as he shrugged sheepishly at Brian. The very next day, after a few more hours of yelling from River, another Melody, who looked just like her mother, was introduced by the Doctor to Calderon Beta._

"_Are you sure you can get all those calculations worked out to send someone back there?" Brian asked as the Time Lord cooed over his newest daughter, rocking her with an enamoured grin on his face._

"_I promise- I won't go until I'm absolutely positive it will work. Well, as sure as possible," he amended._

"_You have quite the family here," Brian remarked, indicating the sleeping Trick and Hope, who had snuggled next to an exhausted River as the three napped peacefully. "It'd be a shame for you to be away for them for too long."_

"_Someone's got to go first, Brian," the Doctor said in firm resignation._

"_I know. But, I've been thinking. I've been away from my family for too long now, especially if there's a chance I can see him again."_

* * *

River smiled as Rory wound an arm around her shoulder, reaching to keep her coat tucked tight around her and Stewart's blanket wrapped close around him. They sat together quietly as they watched Amy push the Doctor higher on the swings, the silence companionable and familiar between them.

"I'm really... happy you're here, River," Rory said at last, looking sideways at her and offering a small smile.

She smiled back, reaching between them to squeeze his hand tightly.

Suddenly Trick rushed over to her, crying spectacularly and holding out a scraped knee to River, which Rory was quick to mend and kiss better, beaming as he ruffled his hair and sent him back to play.

"Thank you for waiting for us, Dad," she replied at last.

When they stood to gather up the kids, both the grown and the little ones, and to head back to the house, he hugged her firmly to his side before breathing out a quick, "Always."

* * *

"_Doctor, I'm trusting you. Amy and Rory are trusting you. Brian is trusting you. Do NOT mess this up, Sweetie."_

"_When do I ever mess things up, River?" She lifted one eyebrow scoldingly. "Well, I know what I'm doing this time. Cross my hearts," he said, clearing his throat as he looked back down to the manipulator meant for Brian._

"_Now, remember the plan, Brian. We need you to scope out the weakest sections in the scrambled time lines, and leave us a message when and where to meet you. It's best to have a beacon, and a specific place and time."_

"_Don't tell them about us, though, Granddad. I don't want them to live with anymore pain if something in the plan changes."_

"_Why would anything change, who said anything about changes, River?"_

"_I'm just concerned you'll realize what you're getting yourself into and change your mind, dear. Several years is a very long time for you to live linearly in one place and with the same people. I just want to leave you room to say no."_

"_I'm not going to say no, River. Besides, I've lived with you for years _in order_ now, quite well!" he defended with a pout._

"_Oh, I know, Sweetie. And look where that's gotten me." She glared playfully with her arms crossed as he smirked and waved at their children. "But, seeing as I've now given you four new playmates to keep you entertained, I expect you to be a good boy and try not to run away for a while."_

_The Doctor rolled his eyes, nodding and waving her comments away flippantly, before he looked up from the vortex manipulator, counting his brood._

"_Three new playmates, River," he corrected with a frown before continuing his task._

"_No, dear. Four." His brows furrowed and he looked over once more to Hope, Trick, and Melody, who were playing with their other grandparents, before he raised an eyebrow at her in confusion._

"_I think she means you're getting another one, Doctor," Brian chuckled into his ear. Suddenly the Doctor's eyes lit up, and he raised his face to see his wife biting her lip and grinning at him. Brian automatically held out his hand, catching the Doctor's fallen screwdriver as the Doctor walked purposefully over to his wife and hugged her tightly._

"_I'd stay or I'd run wherever you needed me, River," he said after he'd placed a chaste kiss to the corner of her mouth. "You've all lost so much because of me, _done_ so much, and yet all you ever do is give me more and more. Now it's my turn." He kissed her nose before rubbing it with his own. "As long as you want."_

_She smiled up at him with a pleased hum, before bringing his head down to hers for a proper snog._

"_Oh, my love, I'll always want you around. But, I do think we'll have our hands quite full with four little Time Lords running around one of the largest cities on Earth, so I think I'll _need_ you around for a few years yet." Then he chuckled down at her, leaning forward for another kiss._

"_But I think four is quite enough, Dear. Even I have my limits." She stopped him with a hand to his chest as she gave him a warning look._

_He was smiling too widely to pout at her, so he simply nodded before their mouths met._

"_Four little Time Lords," he whispered incredulously as he nuzzled her neck. "My children, River. Who would've ever thought?"_

"_Doctor," she finally whispered back after a moment, pushing him lightly once more, "Brian's been waiting to see his son, too."_

"_Right!" he said, twirling around to continue adjusting the small device that would take Brian back._

* * *

Christmas dinner smelled delicious and tasted even better, and River noticed that Amy and Rory didn't stop smiling through the cacophonous meal once. Despite all the adults talking over one another, the children's shrieking, the Doctor's stories, and the baby's crying, they simply laughed and ate and grinned throughout the entire meal.

Afterward, River and the Doctor helped Amy and Rory clean up all the plates and remarked that next year they'd have to make more food if they wanted any extra.

Then she saw Amy leaning contentedly into her Rory in the doorway to the sitting room, his arm around her with her head on his shoulder and silly grins on both of their faces as they whispered conspiratorially.

"Am I missing something?" The Doctor pouted as he approached them before River nudged him to turn and see what they were seeing- their family all together, laughing and happy and _there_.

"It's nothing," Rory sniffed, eyes moist with mostly unshed tears.

Amy leant up and kissed his jaw before turning once more to take in the scene before them. Then she said something she never believed she'd get a chance to say to her daughter or her best friend ever again.

"We're just excited to see what will happen tomorrow."


End file.
